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View Full Version : D&D 3.x Other Epic Destinies: The Nine Blades (3.5, Epic, ToB)



BelGareth
2016-09-22, 01:56 PM
I've been working on these for a few months and finally found some time to finish them. I hope a few of them are cool enough for people to enjoy them in games. I think my intent is obvious, creating a destiny for each discipline, and it wasn't easy!

Feel free to comment and PEACH, I would appreciate any grammatical errors, as well as mechanical ones. Take a moment to realize these abilities are for epic gameplay, and for initiators as well, so it may seem OP, but in actuality, is not.

-Bel

BelGareth
2016-09-22, 01:59 PM
Ardent Sun

Desert wind is a discipline of grace, movement, freedom and flame. You have mastered all of these things, and surpassed any other in the art and form of the discipline itself. You have ascended these attributes and made the Desert Wind a thing of beauty and terror, able to call upon the deserts power to destroy, and at the same time the winds of the hot sun. You are a master surpassed by none, you are the Ardent Sun.

Requirements: 21st level, must know at least 6 Desert Wind maneuver’s, one of which must be Inferno blast.


LevelBenefit
21stAura of the unquenchable Sun
24thGusts of the Eternal Haboob
27thLeaping Dance of the Zephyr
30thLord of the Ardent Sun


Aura of the unquenchable Sun (Ex): As you begin your journey to master the forces of the Desert Wind, you begin to radiate an aura of intense heat, becoming immune to it at the same time, this increases the veracity of your maneuvers, as well as raising the temperature for everyone else. You raise the temperature band by 2 within 60 ft, which increases the damage potential of all your Desert Wind maneuvers, increasing the damage die by one size. (d6 -> d8) Additionally, you become immune to areas of increased heat, and can ignore penalties and affects for being in hot environments.

Gusts of the Eternal Haboob (Ex): Your very being has become home to the tempest; you are always buffeted by hot air, and gusts of sand flow about you in a never ending dance. You gain a constant 50% concealment affect against all attacks, which cannot be seen through via normal means (for example True seeing), additionally you may choose to deal desiccation damage instead of fire damage on any of your Desert Wind maneuvers.

Leaping Dance of the Zephyr (Ex): The Rising Phoenix stance has become ingrained as part of who you are, and you can now remain in it, regardless of what you do, or what other stance you are in. The Rising Phoenix stance becomes a constant at will ability, that you can turn on and off as a free action. You are no longer subject to staying close to the ground, and may use your fly speed as a normal. Your fly speed increases to twice your land speed, with perfect maneuverability. In addition, the aura it gives off extends to a 20ft radius, and deals 1d6 damage for every 2 initiator levels you posses, any creature being dealt damage by this ability must make a successful Fortitude save or become exhausted for 1 round.

Lord of the Ardent Sun (Ex): You have not only mastered the Wind and the Desert Heat, but you have realized your full potential, and can take the last step into the Djinni Apotheosis of the Ardent Sun. You type changes to outsider, with both native and fire subtypes. You gain telepathy out to 100 ft, and can cast Wish as a spell like ability 1/day.

BelGareth
2016-09-22, 02:01 PM
Ascended Martyr

You have sacrificed, you have bled, you have felt the pangs of suffering for your cause, and you have been risen aloft on the currents of your faith to bear witness to your own ascension. You are the stalwart soldier who defends his faith, who protects, proselytize’s, and upholds the righteous. You are the Martyr that will bear the suffering of your people.

Requirements: 21st level, must know at least 6 Devoted Spirit maneuver’s, and have the steely resolve class feature.


LevelBenefit
21stSteely visage
24thHoly Countenance
27thOverflowing chalice
30thImmortal Penance


Steely visage(Ex): The steely resolve of the Ascended Martyr transforms, turning like that of the warrior, into something other than itself. Steely resolve grants DR/- equal to the amount it delays damage (this is in addition to the delayed pool). This stacks with any stance or maneuver that grants DR/-. Additionally, The Ascended Martyr can recover from self inflicted stigmata, allowing him to use his body as a conduit for righteous wrath. The Ascended Marty heals 1 point of ability damage per turn.

Holy Countenance (Ex): Your countenance has transformed, taking into consideration your status as a martyr for your cause, you gain a deflection bonus to AC equal to your charisma modifier, as well as the Divine Grace Paladin ability.

Overflowing chalice (Ex): The Ascended Martyr flows with the power of conviction and strength of its virtues, he no longer expends maneuvers when using them, and merely keeps on gaining all maneuvers readied, until all are available to him.

Immortal Penance (Ex): The final step of your ascension realizes your full potential, you can no longer fail, you must not fail, lest all that you have done is in vain. An Ascended Martyr does not fail saves or miss attacks on a natural 1, you do not age, cannot die of old age, and you gain Regeneration 5.

BelGareth
2016-09-22, 02:02 PM
Indomitable Prefect

You have mastered the moment, the precise time, the perfect slice. Yours is the measure of discipline beyond discipline, your methods and technique have no quarry. Speed and precision guide your attacks, and you have the indomitable strike, none can withstand your skill, or your blade, for you are the Indomitable Prefect.

Requirements: 21st level, must know at least 6 Diamond Mind maneuver’s, one of which must be Time Stands Still.


LevelBenefit
21stDiamond Clarity
24thIsland of Time
27thResolute Order
30thPerfect Will


Diamond Clarity (Ex): Your clear cut clarity has awarded you with the foresight that so many others lack. You gain a permanent foresight ability, as the spell. Additionally, you may use your Con modifier instead of Str for your maneuver DC’s.

Island of Time (Ex): Time is a general definition, one that you do not uphold most of the time. 1/encounter, you may activate this ability as a swift action to gain an immediate full attack action. This may be combined with Time stands still to gain 3 full attack actions in a row.

Resolute Order (Ex): By sheer willpower, you can, and you will, bend things to you willpower as it should be. You gain Blindsight out to 30ft, and can use a concentration check in place of saves, and damage rolls.

Perfect Will (Ex): Your indomitability has arisen to its full potential. You gain the outsider type. Each day, you can concentrate for 10 minutes after a full nights rest, and change your very being by sheer will power. You can change your feats as you see fit, you must still meet requirements. You can swap around your ability scores, and even change your skills. This is a permanent affect until changed the next morning.

BelGareth
2016-09-22, 02:03 PM
Imperator Perfect

Your form surpasses that of any master, you have transcended the ranks of initiators to become what you are now, the perfect warrior, with no equal. You have made Iron Heart your passion, and it has rewarded you with it’s own blessings, perfect form, perfect clarity, and perfect poise. There is no one who can stand against an Imperator Perfect, for they know not the labor it took to achieve perfection.

Requirements: 21st level, must know at least 6 Iron Heart maneuver’s, one of which must be Strike of Perfect Clarity.


LevelBenefit
21stUltimate Manticore Parry
24thStrength of Mind
27thIron Heart Perfection
30thIron Heart Incarnation


Ultimate Manticore Parry (Ex): Your Manticore Parry technique has elevated over time, allowing you to produce spectacular effects with it, to your enemies surprise. You can now use Manticore Parry vs any attack that targets you directly. If it is a ranged attack, you may direct the return attack to anyone within 30 ft of you, or the attacker. Otherwise, this works exactly like the original counter.

Strength of Mind (Ex): Your strength of mind has overcome simple issues that most initiators must deal with. You can recover all spent maneuvers as a swift action but you do not need to perform a flourish or attack routine. Additionally you may use your strength modifier as a perfect bonus to your Initiative, and HP’s per level.

Iron Heart Perfection (Ex): You are the single pinnacle of the discipline, perfection walks in your stead, and so your maneuvers are better, more precise, perfect. All of your Iron Heart maneuvers deal double damage.

Iron Heart Incarnation (Ex): You ascend and gain the outsider type. Your form and body change and shift to resemble the one true form you have mastered. Your heart changes to hardened steel, pumping molten metal through your veins. You gain DR 15/- which stacks with Supreme blade parry. You gain a +10 Natural armor bonus, & +10 bonus to your Constitution & Strength. But it comes at a price, you can no longer love; your heart, having been completely given over to the whims and desires of perfecting the Iron Heart discipline, no longer has the capacity for human devotion. You suffer a penalty on all charisma based checks equal to your initiator level.

BelGareth
2016-09-22, 02:04 PM
Eventides Twilight

Your body and very being has perfected the art of flowing around things, like a river, you can avoid the worst, and then reroute your energy to deliver massive bursts of devastating energy. You strike like the viper and twist like the very air, a phantom of smoke and misdirection, for you are the Eventides Twilight.

Requirements: 21st level, must know at least 6 Setting Sun maneuver’s, one of which must be Tornado Throw.


LevelBenefit
21stSunsets fist
24thTwilight’s Caste
27thFlash of the Sun
30thFinal Dawn


Sunsets fist (Ex): Your fists, arms, elbows and feet all move through the air with the grace of a djinni, trailing trickles of dawn, illuminescent ribbons that shine with the setting sun. You may resolve your unarmed strikes as touch attacks, and you may roll a sense motive check in place of your normal damage.

Twilight’s Caste (Ex): Your being is shrouded in the magical twilight of dawn, casting an almost blinding brilliance on your foes. You gain a perfect bonus to your armor class equal to 1/4 of your sense motive bonus.

Flash of the Sun (Ex): Your insight into the battle techniques of the Setting Sun has granted you the ability to ignore the defenses of those afraid of your style. You may ignore the freedom of movement spell and similar abilities that grant immunity to combat maneuvers (trip, bullrush, and grapple), for maneuvers you initiate. Additionally, you can ignore size penalties on all maneuvers if they are negative.

Final Dawn (Ex): You are the Setting Sun, when you rise, it is accompanied by the sun, and when you rest, dusk breaks the sky a bright orange. You gain a perfect bonus to all combat maneuvers (trip, bullrush, feint, disarm, overrun, or grapple) equal to your Wisdom modifier. You cannot be tripped, bull rushed, feinted, disarmed, overrun or grappled. If an attempt is made against you, it simply fails and you receive a free attempt in return that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. Your attempts to trip, bullrush, feint, disarm, overrun, or grapple are unavoidable, and ignore all methods of immunity, except from artifacts and artifact like effects.

BelGareth
2016-09-22, 02:05 PM
Apostle of Dusk

Shadows have long been your friend, the night your dark companion, and the dusk your lost love. It is the essence of your being, and to fully stand in the light is akin to apostatizing, it will never happen as long as you have your will. For you are the apostle of Dusk, and your patrons await their shadowy deaths.

Requirements: 21st level, must know at least 6 shadow hand maneuver’s, one of which must be Five-Shadow Creeping Ice Enervation Strike.


LevelBenefit
21stMantle of Dusk
24thGreater Assassins stance
27thShadow Strider
30thShadow Apotheosis


Mantle of Dusk (Su): Dusk forms as a mantle upon your shoulders, gathering around you, hiding your from sight. You gain Greater Invisibility as a constant effect that you can dismiss or activate as a free action.

Greater Assassins stance (Ex): Shadows form and flicker around you, in a 30ft area centered on you, light is lowered by 25% as the control light power (this is constantly active). In addition, your Assassins stance provides a sneak attack bonus equal to a rogue of your initiator level and your sneak attacks ignore up to 50% of fortification.

Shadow Strider (Ex): Shadow is your domain, and you have mastered the art of striding through its flickering visage. You may double the range of all teleportation maneuvers, and gain dimension door as a spell like ability, at will. Your effective caster level is equal to your initiator level.

Shadow Apotheosis (Ex): So long have you resided in the shadows that it has changed, you, molded your form into a better being of shadowy death. You gain the dark template. Additionally, your ability damage bypasses any immunities the target has on your first hit, allowing all subsequent hits to deal full ability damage.

BelGareth
2016-09-22, 02:06 PM
Stalwart Herald

You are the rock, the hard place where few dare to tread. For you are the Herald of the Stone Dragon itself, the raw power and strength of the mountain lies upon your shoulders, and you will show your enemies the power therein. No one can withstand you as you become what it is to be a Master of the Stone Dragon, for none can master it, only herald its arrival.

Requirements: 21st level, must know at least 6 Stone Dragon maneuver’s, one of which must be Mountain Tombstone.


LevelBenefit
21stStrength of the Mountain
24thFeet of Stone and sand
27thHands of the Dragon
30thStone Dragon Incarnate


Strength of the Mountain (Ex): When connected to the ground, your size increases by one category, you gain damage reduction 15/adamantium, and +8 bonus to strength.

Feet of Stone and sand (Ex): So long have you remained connected to the earth, that your feet, your very being has grown accustomed to its touch, allowing you to move with greater speed upon its surface where before you were rooted like a mountain. You may move more than 5ft in any Stone dragon stance without canceling their effects, as long as you remain on the ground. Additionally you gain the earth glide ability as an earth elemental, with a speed equal to half your land speed.

Hands of the Dragon (Ex): You are the Stone Dragons hands, whatever its will, you carry out, meting out punishment as is necessary. All of your attacks ignore Hardness and DR of all kinds.

Stone Dragon Incarnate (Ex/Su): The Stone Dragon has blessed you and made you a part of itself. You gain the elemental type and all its subsequent traits, along with the earth subtype. You may increase your size by one category (in addition to Strength of the Mountain size increase), this increase in size affects all of your gear and is considered a supernatural affect. You can dismiss or engage the size increase as a move action. You also gain an additional +12 strength.

BelGareth
2016-09-22, 02:07 PM
Bloodied Avatar

You are the apex predator, there is no prey that can outrun, or outmaneuver you, and all before you are prey. You are the bloodied avatar of your order, your discipline, and all who meet you shall know the power that lies within your veins, ready to boil out and destroy those who oppose you in a moments notice.

Requirements: 21st level, must know at least 6 Tiger claw maneuver’s, one of which must be Feral Death Blow.


LevelBenefit
21stBloody Monster
24thBlood in the Nostrils
27thManic Frenzy
30thBloody Ascendant


Bloody Monster (Ex): You gain the Feral template with out the LA. You are always considered one size smaller without the size penalties when fighting opponents for maneuvers and stances. You are also considered an animal for spells and spell effects.

Blood in the Nostrils (Ex): Blood in the water provides +2 damage bonus for each subsequent hit in the encounter.

Manic Frenzy (Ex): When you enter combat, you can as a free action, enter a frenzy, gaining +10 strength, Dexterity, & Constitution, -10 armor class, and gain 2 extra attacks at your highest attack. This frenzy ability functions in addition to any rage affect you might also posses. Once the encounter has ended, unless you are dead, you fall unconscious for twice the amount of time you frenzied for.

Bloody Ascendant (Ex): Your gain an animal totem, one that matches your ferocity and tenacity of your vicious bloodlust. Choose any animal with hd up to your level, you gain the ability to change shape into this animal, or merge your form as the Lycanthropes hybrid form. You can alternate between your normal, animal, and hybrid form at will. You are considered to have animal intelligence, for all affects and spells, and finally, 1/day you can reincarnate as your totem animal when slain (retaining all your abilities, allowing you to change shape back into humanoid or hybrid form).

BelGareth
2016-09-22, 02:09 PM
Clarion King

Your are a king among kings, able to push normal men to great deeds, and great men to epic deeds. Poems are posed about your guile, and effervescent panache. For you are the Clarion King, the Warmaster, the Herald of your own will. For you are the inspiration of men, and few can stand against the tide of such devotion.

Requirements: 21st level, must know at least 6 White Raven maneuver’s, one of which must be War Masters Charge.


LevelBenefit
21stClarion Prince
24thSupreme White Raven Defense
27thClarion Command
30thStrident Rise


Clarion Prince (Ex): You have begun your path down the ascendancy of the Clarion King, such is you presence, that it commands the protection of your people. Any ally that is adjacent to you at the beginning of their turn, gains a bonus to armor class & damage equal to your charisma modifier. Additionally, you gain the Epic Leadership feat for free, and count your charisma bonus as doubled for calculating followers.

Supreme White Raven Defense (Su): Your allies are your lifeblood, and they must be protected. You gain an aura of mind blank out to 30 ft. You may freely designate allies as a free action, and you are included in your own aura.

Clarion Command (Ex): When the time comes, you must act with certainty and poise, without hesitation, your allies surge forth to enact your will. 1/encounter as a swift action, you may grant each willing ally an immediate, full round action. This does not affect their initiative count.

Strident Rise (Ex): You have fulfilled your path, reaching and grasping a hold of your ascendancy with your own two hands. You ascend to quasi-deity status with Divine rank 0, gaining all the benefits of becoming a quasi-deity. Notably, the following:


Recalculate your hit points to maximum.
Your base land speed increase to 60 ft.
You gain a deflection bonus to AC equal to your charisma modifier
Immunity to polymorphing, petrification, or any other attack that alters its form. Any shape-altering powers the deity might have work normally on itself.
You are not subject to energy drain, ability drain, or ability damage.
Immunity to mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects).
DR 10/Epic
Fire Resistance 5
SR 32


You do not gain any domains, or grant them, neither do you grant spells to worshipers. You do not gain a portfolio.

BelGareth
2016-10-04, 06:31 PM
10/4/16 - changed Imperator Perfect - Iron Heart Perfection to double damage, instead of triple.

remetagross
2016-10-05, 04:26 AM
Wow, great work here ! It's cool that you took the time to write all of this properly.
I am no expert of Epic level play, but I think that the Desert Wind 21st ability is really underwhelming. Not only does it not empower Inferno Blast, since this maneuver does not use dice of damage, but it gives a very small boost to maneuvers that do. Maybe you should instead make it so that you are immune to fire, rather than high temperatures; and also that all maneuvers do 1.5 more damage than before, maybe !

I really, really like the fluff for the 30th level ability of the Iron Heart discipline. Maube you should find such an interesting drawback for each other discipline ?
However, I find that it is difficult to distinguish Diamond Mind from Iron Heart. This is mostly not your fault, those two are thematically close; but maybe you should avoir using the word "mind" to describe Iron Heart abilities, for example, or the word "perfect" for both of the families' names.

One more note: what exactly are those abilities ? Feats, ACFs ? How does one select them ? Can one take as many as it wishes ?

Hope it helps,

remetagross

Gideon Falcon
2016-10-05, 11:41 PM
In the Devoted Spirit Destiny, the 27th level ability makes no sense. It says you no longer expend maneuvers, but that you can still only use them once per day... first off, it's once per encounter, secondly, if they aren't expended, can't you use them again? I presume the clause "keeps on gaining them until all are available to him" is in reference to the granted maneuvers of a Crusader, but a Crusader normally does keep on gaining granted maneuvers until they are all available. So... what does it do?

BelGareth
2016-10-06, 10:40 AM
Wow, great work here ! It's cool that you took the time to write all of this properly.
I am no expert of Epic level play, but I think that the Desert Wind 21st ability is really underwhelming. Not only does it not empower Inferno Blast, since this maneuver does not use dice of damage, but it gives a very small boost to maneuvers that do. Maybe you should instead make it so that you are immune to fire, rather than high temperatures; and also that all maneuvers do 1.5 more damage than before, maybe !

I really, really like the fluff for the 30th level ability of the Iron Heart discipline. Maube you should find such an interesting drawback for each other discipline ?
However, I find that it is difficult to distinguish Diamond Mind from Iron Heart. This is mostly not your fault, those two are thematically close; but maybe you should avoir using the word "mind" to describe Iron Heart abilities, for example, or the word "perfect" for both of the families' names.

One more note: what exactly are those abilities ? Feats, ACFs ? How does one select them ? Can one take as many as it wishes ?

Hope it helps,

remetagross
Thanks! I appreciate it, I had these chilling on my HD fro a few months and decided to finish them off.

A desert wind can get fire immunity relatively easy at this level with the Flames blessing stance. And if the Epic feats by Krimm (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?95516-Epic-Martial-Adept-Progressions-and-Feats) are allowed, having dual stance mastery isn't far of a stretch. And of course, there is magic items that can provide the same thing at that level for what is merely chump change.

Hmm, maybe increasing the amount desert wind deals could be better implemented by multiplying the damage by 1.5 instead of raising the damage die one band. I'll take a look see, thanks for the suggestion!

Epic Destinies are a cross over from 4ed, heres (http://web.archive.org/web/20090218080723/http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/drfe/20080428) a great article about the official WoTC versions. Basically, you trade in the epic feats you get at 21st, 24th, 27th and 30th for the abilities.


In the Devoted Spirit Destiny, the 27th level ability makes no sense. It says you no longer expend maneuvers, but that you can still only use them once per day... first off, it's once per encounter, secondly, if they aren't expended, can't you use them again? I presume the clause "keeps on gaining them until all are available to him" is in reference to the granted maneuvers of a Crusader, but a Crusader normally does keep on gaining granted maneuvers until they are all available. So... what does it do?
Oh my, you are completely correct. Thanks for pointing that out. The intent was, that the available pool of maneuvers gained just keeps increasing, without resetting. But thats kinda meh at this level. I was thinking about letting the maneuvers not be expending when used, and I feel like that is a great ability for this power.

I'll edit that ability soon.TM
Thanks!